Second 'Dr. Phil' episode features local rape case

Published: Friday, September 13, 2013 at 8:24 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, September 13, 2013 at 8:24 p.m.

“They took everything from me... I have nothing left,” the alleged victim of a gang rape told “Dr. Phil” McGraw on the Friday broadcast of his popular daytime talk show as she flashed back to a party last December.

The show featured a two-part series Thursday and Friday on the party and its consequences. Four Henderson County teens were charged with second-degree rape after the girl said she was in and out of consciousness while three of the boys had sex with her during an unchaperoned party where alcohol was served. All four boys told police they had sex with the girl, but said it was consensual.

On Thursday, one of the accused, former East Henderson High football player Matt Bishop, and his parents were interviewed by McGraw before the victim began telling her side. Friday’s episode continued McGraw’s interview with the girl and wrapped up with two other stories of teens and rape, as well as an expert’s take on the problem of underage drinking and sexual abuse.

The alleged victim told McGraw Friday that she woke up to Bishop getting off of her, encircled by the guys standing in their underwear. She said she had no memory of what happened until almost two days later, when she realized someone had erased from her phone the text messages she had exchanged with the boys about the party.

The Monday after the Dec. 8 party, a photo of her and Tyler Garren was shown around school, according to Bishop. Seventeen-year-olds Bishop, Garren, Joseph “Vinny” Curto and Justin “Wesley” Ponder have each been charged with felony second-degree rape.

Although the girl said she still can’t recall everything that happened that night, she told McGraw that she was raped.

“For months after that I’d wish I’d died that night so that I would not have to live with the pain, and I would not have to live with all the ridicule of everyone telling me that I’m in the wrong and that I did something wrong,” she said. “I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) now. I will be walking down the street, and I’ll just start bawling my eyes out. I assume that everyone knows who I am, and that makes me scared to talk to anyone.”

The alleged victim said she has since changed schools.

“I tried going back to my old school because I thought I could make it work,” she said. “I was being, basically, ridiculed, and they would tell me that I was in the wrong because I was destroying everyone’s future.”

Party of 5

On Thursday’s show, the girl said she was told two other girls would be at the party. When she arrived, she noticed it would be just her and the boys -- and a bottle-and-a-half of vodka.

She said she liked Garren “a whole lot” and admitted having a sexual relationship with Bishop before that night, but said she went to the party for Garren after he invited her. She said she noticed Garren was acting a bit tipsy when she arrived. She decided to drink with them when Garren made her mad by talking about hooking up with another girl. One of her last memories was being carried and then put on the floor, she told McGraw.

Thursday, Bishop said the girl was conscious and initiated sex with him.

“She knew exactly what she was doing whenever we engaged,” he told McGraw.

Bishop said he had 10 to 12 shots of vodka and that the 16-year-old girl had three to four within a span of about 30 minutes. The girl told McGraw that she lost track of how many shots she had after three or four.

Bishop said in a pre-show interview that after drinking, she led him downstairs and unbuttoned his pants. They had sex and then she asked for more, he said, so he went upstairs and recruited Ponder to be next. After Ponder, he said, the girl was still asking for more, so Garren went downstairs.

The last one to go downstairs was Curto, and Bishop said the girl told him “no.”

On Friday, the girl told McGraw that she only remembered waking up to see Bishop getting off of her, and that all four boys were in the room. She said she did not ask to be with them.

“I was raped,” she said. “I don’t remember initiating anything.”

Bishop’s father, Mark Bishop, said all five teens were guilty of poor judgment that night.

“I feel like the girl has a big responsibility in this because when she showed up to the party, she was the only girl and I know she had a cellphone,” Mark Bishop said. “If the girl wanted to leave, all she had to do was make a phone call. She may be more responsible for this situation than Matthew.”

On Friday, McGraw asked the alleged victim, “Did you ever think about calling anyone to come get you?”

“Honestly, I didn’t know who I would call. I was at a sheriff’s (deputy’s) house. What was I going to say? I’ve been drinking at a sheriff’s (deputy’s) house? And I didn’t figure they would do something like that,” she said about her classmates. “I assumed the best out of them, considering I had hung out with them before and, especially together, they had never done anything to me.”

She realizes now she should have never gone to the party.

“They violated my body. I don’t even know what they did, and the fact that I can’t remember, that hurts the worst. They could have done anything and I wouldn’t know,” she said, her voice unsteady with emotion. They “deleted all of their texts and everything off of my phone. And the next day, Tyler had texted me like nothing ever happened and that’s when I found out that they did that and ... that’s when I really knew something had happened and they didn’t want to be associated with me.”

“Are you upset about what happened that night sexually or are you upset because they didn’t have anything to do with you afterwards?” McGraw asked.

“I’m upset because of what happened,” she said. “Tyler texted me the next day. I didn’t want anything to do with him.”

“Matthew is very good looking. He’s charismatic. He’s charming. He knows how to talk to women and he does not have to get someone drunk to have sex with him,” she said on the show. “My problem with this is why is she not accused of rape? She started with him. He is a boy.”

“Why does it always have to be the guy or the athlete that is doing that? And that’s where our society is today,” Mark Bishop said. “People like to see people go down, but it’s not only guys out there raping girls; girls can rape guys.”

Mark Bishop said he felt like the girl was embarrassed and stuck with the rape story to save face.

“If this goes to trial, I really don’t feel like he will be found guilty,” he said of his son. “The superintendent took all of the boys out of the school. Instead of being innocent until they’re proven guilty, we automatically put a guilty label on them.”

The alleged victim said that she, too, is seen as guilty.

“Everyone basically shunned me at school because I took away their star football players, even though I tried my hardest not to. They took away all my friends. I had no one left,” she said.

The girl added that she decided to come on the show to help other teens see that it’s OK to speak out, even when you stand alone.

McGraw thanked her for coming on the show, saying she should be proud that she stood up for herself and told her side.

He later told Matt Bishop that he hoped the teen hadn’t committed the crime, and that he hopes Bishop takes a lesson from it -- that when a girl is drunk, she can't consent to sex.

<p>“They took everything from me... I have nothing left,” the alleged victim of a gang rape told “Dr. Phil” McGraw on the Friday broadcast of his popular daytime talk show as she flashed back to a party last December.</p><p>The show featured a two-part series Thursday and Friday on the party and its consequences. Four Henderson County teens were charged with second-degree rape after the girl said she was in and out of consciousness while three of the boys had sex with her during an unchaperoned party where alcohol was served. All four boys told police they had sex with the girl, but said it was consensual. </p><p>On Thursday, one of the accused, former East Henderson High football player Matt Bishop, and his parents were interviewed by McGraw before the victim began telling her side. Friday's episode continued McGraw's interview with the girl and wrapped up with two other stories of teens and rape, as well as an expert's take on the problem of underage drinking and sexual abuse. </p><p>The alleged victim told McGraw Friday that she woke up to Bishop getting off of her, encircled by the guys standing in their underwear. She said she had no memory of what happened until almost two days later, when she realized someone had erased from her phone the text messages she had exchanged with the boys about the party.</p><p>The Monday after the Dec. 8 party, a photo of her and Tyler Garren was shown around school, according to Bishop. Seventeen-year-olds Bishop, Garren, Joseph “Vinny” Curto and Justin “Wesley” Ponder have each been charged with felony second-degree rape.</p><p>Although the girl said she still can't recall everything that happened that night, she told McGraw that she was raped.</p><p>“For months after that I'd wish I'd died that night so that I would not have to live with the pain, and I would not have to live with all the ridicule of everyone telling me that I'm in the wrong and that I did something wrong,” she said. “I have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) now. I will be walking down the street, and I'll just start bawling my eyes out. I assume that everyone knows who I am, and that makes me scared to talk to anyone.”</p><p>The alleged victim said she has since changed schools.</p><p>“I tried going back to my old school because I thought I could make it work,” she said. “I was being, basically, ridiculed, and they would tell me that I was in the wrong because I was destroying everyone's future.”</p><p><b>Party of 5</b></p><p>On Thursday's show, the girl said she was told two other girls would be at the party. When she arrived, she noticed it would be just her and the boys -- and a bottle-and-a-half of vodka.</p><p>She said she liked Garren “a whole lot” and admitted having a sexual relationship with Bishop before that night, but said she went to the party for Garren after he invited her. She said she noticed Garren was acting a bit tipsy when she arrived. She decided to drink with them when Garren made her mad by talking about hooking up with another girl. One of her last memories was being carried and then put on the floor, she told McGraw.</p><p>Thursday, Bishop said the girl was conscious and initiated sex with him. </p><p>“She knew exactly what she was doing whenever we engaged,” he told McGraw.</p><p>Bishop said he had 10 to 12 shots of vodka and that the 16-year-old girl had three to four within a span of about 30 minutes. The girl told McGraw that she lost track of how many shots she had after three or four.</p><p>Bishop said in a pre-show interview that after drinking, she led him downstairs and unbuttoned his pants. They had sex and then she asked for more, he said, so he went upstairs and recruited Ponder to be next. After Ponder, he said, the girl was still asking for more, so Garren went downstairs.</p><p>The last one to go downstairs was Curto, and Bishop said the girl told him “no.”</p><p>On Friday, the girl told McGraw that she only remembered waking up to see Bishop getting off of her, and that all four boys were in the room. She said she did not ask to be with them.</p><p>“I was raped,” she said. “I don't remember initiating anything.”</p><p>Bishop's father, Mark Bishop, said all five teens were guilty of poor judgment that night.</p><p>“I feel like the girl has a big responsibility in this because when she showed up to the party, she was the only girl and I know she had a cellphone,” Mark Bishop said. “If the girl wanted to leave, all she had to do was make a phone call. She may be more responsible for this situation than Matthew.”</p><p>On Friday, McGraw asked the alleged victim, “Did you ever think about calling anyone to come get you?”</p><p>“Honestly, I didn't know who I would call. I was at a sheriff's (deputy's) house. What was I going to say? I've been drinking at a sheriff's (deputy's) house? And I didn't figure they would do something like that,” she said about her classmates. “I assumed the best out of them, considering I had hung out with them before and, especially together, they had never done anything to me.”</p><p>She realizes now she should have never gone to the party.</p><p>“They violated my body. I don't even know what they did, and the fact that I can't remember, that hurts the worst. They could have done anything and I wouldn't know,” she said, her voice unsteady with emotion. They “deleted all of their texts and everything off of my phone. And the next day, Tyler had texted me like nothing ever happened and that's when I found out that they did that and ... that's when I really knew something had happened and they didn't want to be associated with me.”</p><p>“Are you upset about what happened that night sexually or are you upset because they didn't have anything to do with you afterwards?” McGraw asked.</p><p>“I'm upset because of what happened,” she said. “Tyler texted me the next day. I didn't want anything to do with him.”</p><p>Matt Bishop's parents stand staunchly behind their son.</p><p>“I know in my heart of hearts he's innocent,” Dianne Bishop told the Times-News Monday. She believes the girl initiated sex with her son.</p><p>“Matthew is very good looking. He's charismatic. He's charming. He knows how to talk to women and he does not have to get someone drunk to have sex with him,” she said on the show. “My problem with this is why is she not accused of rape? She started with him. He is a boy.”</p><p>“Why does it always have to be the guy or the athlete that is doing that? And that's where our society is today,” Mark Bishop said. “People like to see people go down, but it's not only guys out there raping girls; girls can rape guys.”</p><p>Mark Bishop said he felt like the girl was embarrassed and stuck with the rape story to save face.</p><p>“If this goes to trial, I really don't feel like he will be found guilty,” he said of his son. “The superintendent took all of the boys out of the school. Instead of being innocent until they're proven guilty, we automatically put a guilty label on them.”</p><p>The alleged victim said that she, too, is seen as guilty.</p><p>“Everyone basically shunned me at school because I took away their star football players, even though I tried my hardest not to. They took away all my friends. I had no one left,” she said.</p><p>The girl added that she decided to come on the show to help other teens see that it's OK to speak out, even when you stand alone.</p><p>McGraw thanked her for coming on the show, saying she should be proud that she stood up for herself and told her side.</p><p>He later told Matt Bishop that he hoped the teen hadn't committed the crime, and that he hopes Bishop takes a lesson from it -- that when a girl is drunk, she can't consent to sex. </p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>